1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally related to a basketball goal system and, in particular, to a rim assembly for a basketball goal.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of basketball is played by many people throughout the United States and the world. Briefly, the game of basketball includes a flat and level playing surface with a basketball goal at each end of a court. The basketball goal typically includes a support pole with a backboard and rim or hoop attached to the top of the support pole. The rim or hoop is normally located ten feet above the playing surface and the backboard is constructed from materials such as wood, plastic or tempered glass.
Conventional basketball goals often include rigidly mounting the hoop to the basketball backboard so that the face of the backboard is positioned perpendicular to the playing surface and the hoop is positioned parallel to the playing surface. The mounting of the hoop to the backboard must be sufficiently rigid so that the hoop remains in a generally stationary position and parallel to the playing surface. In addition, the hoop must be securely attached to the backboard so that the hoop is capable of withstanding various forces and impacts during the game of basketball. For example, the hoop must remain in a generally stationary position and parallel to the playing surface so that the basketball rebounds and bounces off the rim in a consistent, dependable manner.
In addition, the hoop must be able to withstand various impacts during the game. For example, in recent years it has become increasingly popular for players to “dunk” the basketball by throwing the basketball through the hoop with great force. In particular, the player throws the basketball through the hoop from a position above the rim. While it is possible to dunk the basketball without the basketball or the player touching the hoop, it is not uncommon for the player to strike the rim with the basketball and/or his or her hands and arms while dunking the basketball. In addition, the player may even momentarily grab or hang onto the rim while dunking the basketball. Players may also occasionally hold or suspend themselves from the hoop to prevent themselves from falling, to regain their balance and/or to prevent themselves from landing on another player. These forces caused by dunking the basketball and players grabbing or suspending themselves from the hoop impart substantial forces on the rim and basketball backboard.
If the force applied to the basketball hoop is excessive, then many problems could result. For example, the hoop may be bent such that it is no longer parallel to the playing surface. This is very undesirable because if the hoop is not horizontal and parallel to the playing surface, then the basketball will not bounce or rebound consistently or correctly. After a hoop has been bent into a deformed position, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to restore the hoop to its original, horizontal position. Thus, the hoop must usually be replaced, which is often time consuming and difficult to accomplish. Further, because hoops used in connection with home, playground and portable basketball systems are often not as strong and durable as hoops used for professional basketball systems, these hoops are more likely to be bent and deformed. Therefore, hoops used in connection with home, playground and portable basketball systems are more likely to be damaged and in need of replacement.
Additionally, if excessive force is applied to the rim and the basketball backboard is constructed from tempered glass, then the glass may shatter. This may result in injury to players surrounding the goal and spectators in the immediate area. In addition, the tempered glass backboard has to be replaced before the game can be continued. Unfortunately, replacing the glass backboard requires a substantial amount of time and that results in an unacceptable delay of the basketball game. Additionally, it can be very expensive to replace glass backboards each time they are damaged.
The force applied to the rim may also damage basketball backboards constructed from materials other than tempered glass. For example, basketball backboards may also be manufactured using thermoformed plastic. Thermoformed plastic is a relatively strong material, but it is also brittle. The brittle nature of the thermoformed plastic makes it susceptible to cracking or shattering upon impact. Additionally, thermoformed plastic backboards often require the use of strengthening ribs and reinforcement structures in order to increase the stiffness and rigidity of the backboard. These ribs and reinforcement structures often detract from the aesthetics of the backboard and add to the complexity of the design and manufacturing process. Further, thermoformed plastic basketballs are often constructed from two or more pieces that must be assembled together. Accordingly, thermoformed plastic backboards often require additional parts and time to manufacture. Therefore, thermoformed plastic backboards are relatively costly to manufacture.
While basketball backboards constructed from thermoformed plastic are generally more resistant to shattering or breaking than tempered glass backboards, thermoformed plastic backboards may still break or shatter when a player dunks the basketball or otherwise contacts the rim. Thermoformed plastic backboards may also be very difficult or impossible to repair. Thus, the entire backboard may have to be replaced, which may be time consuming and expensive.
It is also known to construct basketball backboard from other materials such as injection molded plastic. Injection molded plastic backboards may also be damaged or broken if excessive force is applied to the hoop. For example, if the hoop is bolted to the backboard, then the force on the rim may cause the connection of the rim to the backboard to be broken by pulling the bolts out of the backboard or breaking that portion of the backboard. Thus, additional parts and other structures may be required to increase the strength of that portion of the backboard and prevent the backboard from being damaged.
It is known to use a basketball hoop that will “breakaway” or deflect from its original horizontal position when a force greater than a predetermined amount is applied to the hoop in order to prevent damage to the rim or backboard. In particular, when a force greater than the predetermined amount is applied to the hoop, the rim is allowed to pivot downwardly before the rim or backboard is damaged. These known breakaway rims allow the hoop to maintain its horizontal position during regular play when forces such as the basketball bouncing off of the hoop are applied. The breakaway rims, however, deflect downwardly when a substantial amount of force is applied to the hoop, such as someone dunking a basketball or grabbing the rim, in order to absorb much of the energy applied to the hoop.
Known breakaway rims, however, are very complex and include multiple parts. Most known breakaway rims position the various mechanisms and parts in a very limited space. This small area forces the parts to be very small and spaced very close together, which increases manufacturing time and costs. This also makes these known breakaway rims very difficult to adjust and repair. Additionally, known breakaway rims often include multiple moving parts that are subject to wear over time. Disadvantageously, if the parts being to wear, then the hoop to be held in a less than stable and rigid position, which is very undesirable when playing basketball because the rim may “give” or move during the game. The worn parts may also not maintain the hoop parallel to the playing surface and the rim may undesirably be disposed at an angle. In addition, these known breakaway rims may create a safety hazard because the mechanisms and parts that are located in front of the backboard may allow the hands or fingers of the players to be caught or injured. Further, the forwardly extending components of the breakaway rim may also create an aesthetically unpleasing design and the components may be difficult to install or replace.
As with most mechanical systems, the complexity of known breakaway basketball rims results in several disadvantages. For example, conventional breakaway rims are often expensive to manufacture because of the large number of parts and time required to assemble the parts, which generally results in an increased price to the consumer. The complex nature of these known breakaway rims may also lead to a greater frequency of failure. In addition, many previous breakaway rims are constructed of materials which are not designed for outdoor use. Thus, the parts may prematurely rust or corrode if used outside. Further, the relatively small components located in a very compact area make these known breakaway basketball rims difficult to repair and replace.
Additionally, conventional breakaway rims are typically directly mounted to the backboard by bolts or screws. Thus, holes or opening must be created in the backboard, which is time consuming during the manufacturing process and the holes may weaken or decrease the structural integrity of the backboard. In addition, because the rim is attached to the backboard, forces applied to the rim are directly transferred from the rim to the backboard. This transfer of the force from the hoop to the backboard can cause unnecessary wear and/or damage to the backboard. For instance, if a player dunks a basketball or grabs the rim, that may create a downward force on the rim. This force on the rim may be directly transmitted to the backboard, which may damage the connection of the rim to the backboard and/or the backboard itself.